1. 2208 W. Chesterfield blvd, suite 101
Growth Trends
Through DECEMBER 31, 2015
2208 W. Chesterfield blvd, suite 101
Springfield, Missouri

2. Disclaimer i 2015 Growth Trends Table of Contents i Introduction 1
Residential Units 2
Single Family Units Permitted - OTO Area 3
Multi-Family Units Permitted - OTO Area 4
Total Residential Units Permitted - OTO Area 5
Growth Trends Maps 6
MPO Area Growth Trends 2015 (MPO Service Area) 7
MPO Area Growth Trends (MPO Service Area) 8
2015 Permit Heat Map 9
Migration into Greene County
Migration out of Greene County
Migration into Christian County
Migration out of Christian County
Population & Socioeconomic Data 14
Springfield MSA Population 2000 Base (Greene, Christian, Webster, Polk, Dallas) Annual Percent Change - Springfield MSA Population 16
Population Increase - Springfield MSA Counties 17 Population - Cities in the OTO Planning Area 18 Population - Percent Change
Median Household Income - Springfield MSA Counties 20
Per Capita Income - MSA Counties 21
Per Capita Income - OTO Area Cities 22 Persons Living in Poverty - Springfield MSA Counties 23
Children Living in Poverty - Springfield MSA Counties Workforce Education Levels - Percent with High School Diploma and College Degrees in the Springfield MSA Counties 25
Place of Residence vs. Place of Employment - Primary Jobs 26
Mean Travel Time to Work in Minutes - Springfield & MSA Counties 27
Workforce By Industry - Springfield MSA 28
Appendix 29
Disclaimer
This report was prepared in cooperation with the USDOT, including FHWA and FTA, as well as the Missouri Department of Transportation. The opinion, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Transit Administration.
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3. Introduction 1 2015 Growth Trends RESIDENTIAL UNITS
Each year the Ozarks Transportation Organization, or OTO, examines residential construction activity and socioeconomic data for its planning area and member jurisdictions. This report is comprised of three main sections:
RESIDENTIAL UNITS
Single-family and multi-family residential construction activity for the various jurisdictions within the OTO planning area.
POPULATION & SOCIOECONOMIC DATA
Population, income, poverty, education, commuting, and workforce data.
GROWTH TRENDS MAPS
A display of residential construction activity within various OTO-area jurisdictions for the year 2015.
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4. Building Permit ACTIVITY
Residential Units
Building Permit ACTIVITY
The building permit data was obtained from each municipality in the OTO area. The data was geocoded into a Growth Trends GIS database by the address given. The number of units per census tract were obtained by adding together the single family and multifamily units and subtracting the permitted demolition units.
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5. Jurisdictions within the OTO
Each year the Ozarks Transportation Organization (OTO) collects building permit data from its member jurisdictions. The chart to the right shows that single family home construction peaked in Greene County (the unincorporated portion within the OTO planning area) and the Cities of Nixa, Springfield and Ozark in Single family home construction in Republic and Christian County (the unincorporated portion within the OTO planning area) peaked in The number of single family homes permitted dropped sharply between the mid-2000’s and However, in 2015, Battlefield, Ozark, Republic, and Christian County saw an increase in single family home construction and the City of Springfield saw a loss of single family units. The trend has not rebounded to the early 2000 level for any local jurisdiction or the OTO area.
Not Available
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6. Jurisdictions within the OTO (continued)
Over the past 11 years the vast majority of local multi-family residential construction has occurred within the City of Springfield, where the number of multi-family building permits issued rose sharply after 2003 and then dropped significantly after Except for just a few in Ozark, Nixa and Willard, Springfield issued the only multi-family residential construction in 2015.
Republic, Ozark, Nixa, and Christian County did not issue separate multi-family residential construction permits until Since 2005, Nixa has permitted a total of 388 multi-family units, followed by Ozark (262 units), Republic (206 units), and Christian County (41 units).
Springfield’s multifamily residential construction for 2015 increased 80 percent from 2014.
Note: Multi-Family Units for the City of Springfield in the years have been increased over prior reports. This is due to the conversion of already existing buildings into apartment complexes being grouped differently than new buildings, therefore they were previously overlooked.
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7. Jurisdictions within the OTO (continued)
The chart to the right shows the total number of residential units permitted minus single family and multi-family demolitions in Battlefield, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Springfield, Strafford, Willard, and the unincorporated portions of Greene County and Christian County within the OTO planning area. Residential construction in Ozark (441 units), Nixa (547), and Greene County (1,424) peaked in 2005, while Springfield (1,386), Republic (307), and Christian County (241) witnessed their highest levels in Residential units within the OTO planning area increased from 2014 (1,222 units) to 2015 (1,627 units) despite a number of demolitions occurring in 2015 (-143 units).
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8. Changes in Housing Units
Growth Trends Maps
Changes in Housing Units
In the following maps, new residential construction activity is analyzed at the MPO, county, and city levels along with the analysis of migration to and from Christian County and Greene County. The majority of growth in the OTO planning area during 2015 occurred immediately west and southwest of the City of Springfield. Over the past 15 years, the areas at and outside the periphery of Springfield (including Willard, Republic, and Battlefield), and northern Christian County (including Nixa and Ozark), have witnessed the most growth.
While Greene County and Christian County saw the biggest migration between themselves, Greene County saw a net loss of 392 residents. Christian County saw an increase of 396 residents.
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9. 2015 Growth Trends 7

10. 2015 Growth Trends 8

11. 2015 Permit Heat map 9 2015 Growth Trends
The map on the right shows the areas where the most residential permits were issued in the OTO area in 2015.
The Northeast portion of Nixa saw the biggest cluster of new residential housing construction. Other clusters of permits issued are in southern Republic, the City of Battlefield, and central Ozark. There are smaller clusters to the east and west of Springfield around the Brookline and I44/65 areas.
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12. 2015 Growth Trends 10

13. 2015 Growth Trends 11

14. 2015 Growth Trends 12

15. 2015 Growth Trends 13

16. Population & Socioeconomic Data
Through DECEMBER 31, 2014
Based on figures from the 2010 Census, the five-county MSA (Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk, Webster) has a population of 436,712. This represents a 15.6 percent increase over the 2000 MSA population of 368,374 and an average annual growth rate of 1.56 percent between 2000 and 2010.
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17. Springfield MSA 15 2015 Growth Trends
After the 2000 Census, the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, or MSA, was expanded from three counties - Greene, Christian, and Webster - to five counties - Greene, Christian, Webster, Dallas, and Polk. The chart to the right shows the steady population increase in the five-county MSA. From 2004 to 2014 the MSA has increased over 15 percent. This is an annual average increase of 1.36 percent.
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18. Springfield MSA (continued)
The chart to the right shows the annual population percentage change between 2004 and 2014 for the five-county Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Although population growth in the five-county MSA has been consistently positive, the rates of growth vary from year to year. The highest rates of growth were in 2006 and 2007, immediately before the “Great Recession.” After 2007, population growth rates stayed at recession levels had the lowest growth rate in the last 11 years growing just .79 percent.
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19. Individual Counties 17 2015 Growth Trends
The chart to the right shows both the actual number of people added in each of the five Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) counties and the population growth for each county (as noted above the bars) between and 2010.
Greene County added the most population (34,783) of any MSA county between 2000 and 2010, but had only the fourth-highest population growth rate. Christian County, by far, had the highest population growth rate (29.9%) of any MSA county between 2000 and 2010; this growth rate represented an actual population increase of 23,137. The population of Webster County grew by 14.2% between 2000 and 2010, while the populations of Polk County and Dallas County increased by 13.3% and 6.7%, respectively, over the same time period.
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20. Jurisdictions within the OTO
The chart and data table to the right show the populations of the cities within the OTO planning area. The City of Springfield, the most populous city within the OTO area and the region’s employment center, has experienced steady growth over the past 20 years, adding a total of 70,639 people between 1990 and 2014.
The cities surrounding Springfield have enjoyed incredible rates of population growth over the past 20 years. Between 1990 and 2010, the populations of the cities around Springfield have all more than doubled and in some cases (see Nixa and Ozark) even quadrupled. However, from 2013 to 2014 the area has only seen a slight increase with the exception of Strafford and Willard.
Average daily traffic on the highways connecting Springfield to the other cities in the OTO area has steadily increased during the last decade as residents commute into Springfield in increasing numbers for jobs, shopping, health care, and higher education.
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21. State, Region, Nation 19 2015 Growth Trends
Between 2000 and 2010, the five-county Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population growth rate exceeded the growth rate of the nation as a whole, as well as the various regions (Midwest, South, etc.) within the United States. The population of the United States increased by 9.7% between 2000 and 2010 while the population of the Springfield MSA grew by 18.5%.
Nationally, the South (14.3%) and West (13.8%) grew more population-wise than the nation as a whole. Meanwhile, the Midwest (3.9%) and Northeast (3.2%) saw slower than average population growth.
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22. Median Household Income
The chart to the right shows median household income for the five counties that comprise the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, or MSA. Christian County ($52,693) and Polk County ($39,336) have the highest and lowest median household income levels, respectively, within the Springfield MSA.
Christian County household income decreased 0.27 percent from 2013 to 2014, yet it is the only county in the MSA that is greater than the state average ($47,764). All Counties in the Springfield MSA are below the national level ($53,482).
Christian (-0.27%), Dallas (-4.5%), and Polk (-0.45%) counties all saw dips in median household incomes from Greene and Webster saw the only increases from the previous year, 0.43 percent and 2.7 percent respectively.
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23. Per Capita Income 21 2015 Growth Trends
The chart to the right shows per capita income for the United States, the state of Missouri, and the five counties that comprise the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
All five counties within the MSA are below both the national ($28,555) and state ($26,006) per capita income levels.
Within the Springfield MSA, Christian County and Dallas County have the highest and lowest per capita income levels at $25,428 and $17,663, respectively.
In this instance, the only counties in the Springfield MSA to see a decrease in per capita income was Polk County (-0.79%) and Dallas ( -2.71%).
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24. Per Capita Income 22 2015 Growth Trends
The chart to the right shows per capita income for the cities within the OTO planning area.
No city in 2014 is higher than the nation ($28,555), or the state of Missouri’s ($26,006) per capita income.
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25. Persons Living in Poverty
The chart on the right shows the percentage of individuals in the five- county Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, or MSA, who live in poverty.
Dallas County has the highest rate living in poverty with 22.7 percent of it’s population living in poverty. Polk County saw a dramatic drop in poverty levels since 2013 (-3.1%). Webster County also had a significant decrease at -2.4 percent. Greene County saw the highest increase in poverty since at 0.4 percent. Christian County has the lowest poverty rate of percent in the Springfield MSA.
Christian County (0.1%) and Greene County (0.4%) were the only counties in the Springfield MSA to see an increase in their poverty percentages.
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26. Children Living in Poverty
The chart to the right shows the percentage of children (17 years old and younger) living in poverty in the five-county Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, or MSA.
In Dallas County, over 35 percent of children live in poverty, which represents more than 1 in 3 children. This is 13.6 percent higher than the national average of 21.9 percent and is the highest percentage inside the Springfield MSA.
Polk County saw a dramatic decrease since 2013 of -7.8 percent. Webster County also saw a drop in percentage since 2013 of percent, which brought Webster to just 24.6 percent. The only county below that was Christian County (14.9%) which actually experienced a 0.4 percent increase. Christian County is still the only county in the Springfield MSA to fall below both Missouri (21.5%) and the United States (21.9) averages.
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27. Workforce Education Levels
Workforce education levels affect employment and earning levels within communities. Additionally, prospective employers are interested in workforce characteristics with education being an important factor in location and relocation decisions.
Christian County has the highest percentage at 91.2 percent of residents 25 years of age or older with a high school diploma. Greene County has the highest percentage of residents 25 years of age or older with a four-year college degree at 28.7 percent.
Within the Springfield MSA, Dallas County has the lowest percentage of high school graduates at 80.1 percent and has the lowest percentage of college graduates at 13.9 percent.
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28. Commuting Patterns 26 2015 Growth Trends
The chart to the right shows the percentage of local workers who both live and work in their county of residence compared to the percentage of workers leaving their home county for work.
Almost 92 percent of the people who work in Greene County also live in Greene County, as would be expected of the county in which the region’s primary employment center - the City of Springfield - is located. Conversely, over 67 percent of Christian County residents commute outside of their home county for work, as do over 61.2 percent of workers in Webster County and percent of workers in Dallas County.
Only 35 percent of Polk County residents leave Polk County for work as the City of Bolivar is a relatively large employment center (e.g., Southwest Baptist University, Citizens Memorial Hospital) compared to other smaller cities in the Springfield area.
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29. Mean Travel Time to Work
The chart to the right shows the average commute time for individuals living in Springfield and the five-county Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
Residents of Springfield and Greene County have the shortest commutes to work at 17.3 minutes and 19 minutes, respectively. Workers living in Dallas County have the longest commutes with the average of 31 minutes to their place of employment.
These figures reflect the reality that a large number of residents of the Springfield MSA commute into Springfield for their jobs.
Note: 2009 data not available for Dallas County
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30. Workforce By Industry Springfield MSA Source: 2010-2014 ACS 5-Year Estimates
The chart to the right shows the various industries in which the residents of Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk, and Webster counties are employed. Educational service, health care, and social assistance continues to employ the largest work force. The Springfield MSA is home to Missouri State University, has a number of regional hospitals, and sources of public assistance.
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31. Appendix 29 2015 Growth Trends
The figures provided in this report are for informational purposes only. The Ozarks Transportation Organization (OTO) offers no warranty, either expressed or implied, that the population and housing unit numbers published here are accurate and assumes no liability for any use to which the data may be put. Building permit data were provided by the Springfield Department of Building Development Services, the Greene County Department of Building Regulations, and the governments of Christian County, Battlefield, Republic, Nixa, Ozark, Strafford, and Willard. The Village of Fremont Hills, while located within the OTO planning area, is not an OTO member jurisdiction and is therefore not included in this report. The ACS collects survey information continuously nearly every day of the year and then aggregates the results over a specific time period—1 year, 3 years, or 5 years. The data collection is spread evenly across the entire period represented so as not to over-represent any particular month or year within the period.
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